Hero's Rest
by BeebleZeeble
Summary: Couldn't figure out a better category, wish there was just a general Tammy category. A loyal hero meets his final rest. Alanna and her son Thom are traveling with Raoul and the Own to Corus, and run into trouble along the way. A (possibly) beloved animal dies in this, fair warning. There are also a few swears.


It was impossible for Raoul not to smile on a beautiful spring day like this. Even Alanna's grumbling couldn't keep him from good cheer as he stoked the fire.

"Thom! You and Gimpy need to stay close to the Own! I won't tell you again," she called to her seven-year-old son.

Raoul rolled his eyes. As far as he could tell the statement, "I won't tell you again," was completely devoid of meaning, as she had already told the boy this information a good five times just this afternoon.

"Oh cheer up, he's fine. We're only a day out from the Swoop, and we've yet to see any evidence of banditry. Go on Thom, go explore."

Thom smiled gratefully at him, before turning to his faithful hound and whooping. "Come on Gimpy! Let's go build a fort!"

The icy look Alanna fixed him, however, made Raoul immediately regret saying anything.

"Thom!" Alanna shouted, but the boy paid her no heed as he crashed through the underbrush outside of their camp and disappeared into the forest.

Alanna whipped back around to face Raoul, who was desperately looking anywhere but.

"Well Alanna, I should really go set up the-"

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to recall, are you Thom's father?"

"Ah, well obviously no, but I was just-"

"Did you give birth to Thom?"

"Not that I recall, but you never-"

"Have you been granted legal guardianship of him in some way?"

"Gods I hope not-"

"Then can you explain to me how it came to be that you get the last say on his welfare?" He wasn't sure how she did it, but Raoul could have sworn Alanna had grown a few feet in her simmering rage.

Raoul sighed. "I'm sorry, I just didn't see why it was a problem. He spent all day riding with us, helping the men load and unload supplies as well as scouting with them. He's always so quiet and serious. I feel badly he's not having more fun out here. Besides, he's got a dog, a horn, a knife, a slingshot, and he's Gifted. Why are you so worried? I've seen you let Aly and Alan wander about this area before."

Alanna gave him an exasperated look. "Because when Aly and Alan get into trouble they don't freeze up like spooked rabbits, that's why!" She shook her head. To Raoul's surprise her shoulders slumped as though she had just dropped off a heavy weight. Her tone grew softer, and much less angry. "Thom _is_ having fun Raoul, he told me. He likes helping out, and he loves reading his books in the wagon. He's just shy around the men, so he keeps quiet. And trust me, he's just as tentative about combat as he is about talking to new people. If he runs into danger, knives and slingshots will be about as little use to him as his Gift will be." She rolled her eyes and muttered, "Or that damn hound."

"I honestly can't believe that thing is still alive, I thought it was on its deathbed when you bought it," Raoul grinned.

"Ye paid money for that beast?" The rest of Raoul's men had finished setting up camp and, now that it was evident their commander was no longer in danger of being eviscerated by the Lioness's temper, had wandered over to join them. The man who had spoken was a sergeant by the name of Glynn. He had ridden with the Lioness before and seemed to get a special delight out of teasing her. Glynn once told Raoul that Alanna reminded him of his younger sister, only his sister was much, much scarier. Whenever Glynn spoke of her Raoul found himself thanking the gods that she apparently never had an interest in knighthood- he wasn't sure he would have survived two Alannas.

Alanna rolled her eyes at Glynn, but she was smiling. "I didn't intend to, believe me."

"She fell for the oldest trick in the book!" Raoul called out.

"I did not! It wasn't my fault! you were there, what was I supposed to do?" Alanna sounded indignant, but Raoul couldn't help noticing that the worry lines that had appeared when they were discussing Thom had begun to smooth away.

He pressed on. "Please, that vendor saw you coming a mile away. He saw a fat purse and a woman who can't say no to her children," he said with a wink.

"Ah, yes, yer probably a big pushover, I believe it," Glynn added seriously, despite the wicked twinkle in his eye.

"I am not, I was TRAPPED!" Alanna protested.

"Well them the story, and let them decide then." Raoul gestured out at the gathering of men around their campfire. It was still bright out, although the sun was reaching for the horizon. The air hummed with birds and small woodland animals foraging and building nests, the tranquility punctuated only by the sounds of a young boy frolicking with his dog. Raoul leaned into he warmth of the fire, and smiled.

"Fine! I'll tell them, but only because my honor is at stake here," Alanna grinned. She took a breath. "Well, you know my son Thom?" She gestured vaguely at the edge of the forest Thom was out playing in, and the men nodded. "A few years ago he was having a lot of trouble with nightmares. Nearly every night he would wake up in a fit and be inconsolable. The only way my husband and I could get him to calm down and go back to sleep was by letting him sleep in our bed. Of course once Thom got to sleep in our room his younger siblings would want to as well, and before I knew it my children were nightmare-free but neither my husband nor I had slept comfortably in weeks." Alanna's mouth twitched as she added, "You never realize how many sharp edges a body has until you're packed into a bed with four of them.

Thom's younger siblings share a room still, and they've never had nearly as many problems with night frights as Thom has, so I thought perhaps Thom just needed someone to stay with him at night so he wouldn't feel alone. He's always loved animals, and he's very responsible, so my husband and I decided to get him a pup to care for that was all his. My father knew a man in Corus in the merchant district that breeds dogs, and he had a line of dogs he bred to be both loyal and protective, specifically for children.

Well the day comes to get him his puppy. George, my husband, had a…um…prior commitment, so I decided to take the children myself into the city."

"And me!" Raoul interjected cheerfully.

Alanna rolled her eyes again. "I ran into Raoul and he decided to come too, are you pleased now?"

"Just trying to keep it accurate, that's all. Please continue, this is where it gets good," Raoul said, propping his feet up on a log. This was the part of a trip he enjoyed the most- good friends, good stories, and a fine fire. No court function could even come close to this kind of fun.

"Have you ever tried to go someplace in a hurry with children?" Alanna asked. "They have to stop and look at _everything_ , it's impossible. And especially in the marketplace, where all they see are treats and toys and pretty colors, and all manner of temptations."

Raoul couldn't help himself. "What Alanna is trying to avoid stating directly is that she allowed me to accompany her little sleep-deprived monsters into tantrum hell with absolutely no warning because she was tired and desperate for adult company."

"Hey! I told you they didn't get a nap that day, you're the one who choose to come along," Alanna interjected.

Raoul turned to her. "Fair enough, but as a childless person I didn't realize 'no nap' secretly means 'my children are about to become soulless demon spawn'. You didn't explain the code!"

"Those are my children you're maligning!"

Glynn stepped in smoothly before their bickering could completely derail the story. "So they were primed for a meltdown and then ye took them to a place where it was guaranteed to happen, yeah?"

"Mithros, yes. Every stall. It was just endless wails of 'please Ma, please can I have this, why can't I have this, but I want it please' and tears. It was horrendous," Raoul moaned.

Alanna reluctantly nodded. "I was losing my mind and Raoul had completely lost his ability to do anything besides give me horrified pleading looks-"

"Well that's not at all how I would characterize th-"

" _Any_ way, we were at the breaking point, and we hadn't even gotten to where we were headed, and that's when they saw it. At the bad end of the market, this dirty old greasy looking man in a dingy disgusting stall, selling trinkets that I swear to all the gods had their previous owners' blood still wet on them. And at his feet, in a pile of rags I wouldn't have let my worst enemy sit on, was this old, mangy, flea-ridden, filthy dog."

"Oh Mithros, the smell!" Raoul whooped. "You wouldn't believe how horrible this thing was. Just looking at that dog made my skin crawl. And her children! They just immediately started petting it and hugging it and crawling all over its putrid body cooing at it like it wasn't plague-ridden! I thought I would vomit."

The men roared with laughter. Their fearless commander had led them through more than a few squalid places while telling them to quit their bellyaching.

"I tried to get them off of it, but my children, once they see an animal they're gone. 'Oh Ma, let's get this doggy!' 'Please, this is the puppy we want, please let us have him' 'Oh Ma, he's the best doggy I've ever seen, please!' I finally got them to calm down and I said, 'This doggy is very nice, but he belongs to this owner. We've got our own special pup waiting for us just a few streets away, ok? Say goodbye to the puppy and let's go.' And they were all fine! And then, that _man_!"

Raoul couldn't stop himself from cutting in again, "So she's got them all waving goodbye and edging out of the stall when the owner looks over and says really calmly, 'Yes children, you don't want this dog, he's old and sick. If I can't sell 'im today I'll probably just kill 'im and see what the butcher'll give me for his meat.'"

Several of the men laughed and Glynn whooped, "No, that's terrible!"

Raoul grinned, "All three of them just completely lost their damn minds. Just instantaneous hysterical sobbing and screaming 'MAMA PLEASE SAVE MY PUPPY HE'S GOING TO KILL THE DOG PLEASE MAMA PLEASE NO' while the man is just giving Alanna the coldest, dead-eyed grin I have ever seen."

The men laughed outrageously, while Alanna put her hands over her head.

"So ye were outmatched and ye bought the dog, eh?" Glynn asked, elbowing her.

"What else could I do?" she yelled. "They were traumatized! What was I supposed to say? 'No children, your mother is going to let the old sick dog get butchered'?" The men continued to laugh.

"That's not even the end of it though!" Raoul cried, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "When she finally agreed to buy it and got out her purse she said, 'Ok, I'll give you ten copper pieces for the dog' and the man goes, 'I think he's worth at least a gold noble' and Alanna goes," Raoul pitched his voice up an octave in an attempt to mimic Alanna's, "She goes, 'You just said he was on his deathbed and nearly worthless!' so he said, 'Yer children have made me see the error of my ways, they've convinced me he's very valuable' and we turn around and the children have literally thrown their bodies over the dog like they were going to personally take the butcher's knife before they would let it touch their precious hound."

Alanna threw her hands up as men continued to laugh at her, "He clearly had me up against the wall."

"And that's the story of how Alanna wound up paying a filthy lying shopkeeper, who probably found that thing in an ally by the way, twice as much for his old hound than she was willing to pay a breeder for his finest pup," Raoul finished proudly.

"Aye, yer an old softie, I knew 'twas so," Glynn needled while the others laughed. Alanna crossed her arms in an affronted manner, but Raoul could see his distraction had worked, and she was smiling slightly.

"It's alright Alanna, just make sure those threescore offenders never find out that all they have to do to gain freedom is appeal to your children," Raoul winked.

Still chuckling the men began to spread out, some stoking up the fire while others began gathering supplies to make supper. Raoul stood and stretched, noticing for the first time how dim it had become.

"I didn't realize it was so late. We're behind on our supper," he said turning to Alanna, but she wasn't listening. She had jumped to her feet, and was frantically scanning the clearing.

"What?" Raoul asked, his brow furrowing.

"Stop, shh!" Alanna suddenly hissed, her face white. Raoul and the men nearest to her froze instantly in place.  
Raoul reached for his sword then whispered again, "What?"

"Listen! What do you hear?" She replied urgently.

Raoul cocked his head to the side. The forest was quiet, but not unnaturally so. He could hear the leaves rustling in the wind and the sounds of small creatures going about their business.

"I don't hear anything Alanna, what is it?" he whispered.

Her eyes were wide with panic as she replied, "Exactly. Where are Gimpy and Thom?"

Suddenly Raoul's gut tightened. "Glynn, get your squad and start combing the woods for them." Glynn had already begun to move before Raoul finished his command. Raoul turned back to Alanna.

"I'm sure they just wandered a bit too far, we'll find them in no time," he said reassuringly, but Alanna didn't appear to be taking his words in at all. She leapt gracefully over the log she had been sitting upon and raced for the woods. Raoul jogged behind her.

"Thom! THOM!" she called, her voice ragged. She moved quickly, and Raoul struggled to keep up.

"Thom!" he bellowed, scanning the trees for movement. In the dim twilight it was hard to tell where one tree stopped and another began, but he could still distinguish movement from stillness. All around him was undisturbed silence. The animals, alarmed by the number of shouting men crashing through their homes, had gone into hiding, lending the previously welcoming woods an eerie uncomfortable feeling.

"STOP!" Alanna shouted, halting so suddenly Raoul almost crashed into her. He strained his ears, and then he heard it: the unmistakable sound of Thom's horn bellowing an alarm.

Alanna was off like a shot, charging east towards the sound, with Raoul close behind her. Suddenly the horn stopped, and Raoul felt his insides turn to ice. There weren't a lot of good reasons for Thom to cease a call for help. Impossibly Alanna began moving even faster, sprinting towards a clearing ahead. She burst through the trees, her sword drawn, Raoul a moment behind her.

Once his eyes adjusted to the light of the glade, Raoul could see a grim scene laid out before him. Three ragged looking bandits, armed with spears and not much else had been in the process of closing in on a small boy before the unexpected appearance of Alanna and Raoul. Thom was sprawled on the ground at the furthest edge of the open space, his eyes wide and dazed looking, with a cut across his small chest. It looked as though he had fallen backwards trying to dodge a spear. In front of Thom, between him and the bandits, was Gimpy, growling and snapping despite some quite serious looking injuries. His old coat was bleeding all over, and Raoul could see what looked like a pretty serious cut to Gimpy's belly. Still the dog acted younger than his many years, jumping at the bandit closest to Thom, his jaws snatching at the man's throat. The bandit swore and tried to kick the dog away, and Raoul noticed all three of them bore scratches and bites from the animal.

In all the years Raoul had witnessed Alanna fighting he had always been impressed by her speed, but he had never seen her move so fast as she did that day. Before he could do more than take in the scene she had already dispatched with two of the bandits. The third tried to run, but was easily caught by Glynn and his men as they charged into the clearing. Raoul waited until he was sure his men had a handle on the situation, then turn to find Thom.

As soon as the threat had dissipated, Alanna was by her son, kneeling in front of him. He was clearly in shock, mouth slightly ajar as he glanced around the clearing. "Thom! Thom baby, look at me, let me see," Alanna said frantically. Her fingers touched the cut on his chest, which had ceased bleeding already, while her other hand cupped the back of his head. Purple fire burst from both hands, and flowed into the frightened boy's body. Raoul could see the skin on Thom's chest knitting itself back together through the torn fabric of his shirt.

"I'm sorry sweet, this might hurt. I think you have a concussion. Did you hit your head on the tree?" Alanna asked, peering into her son's eyes. Thom nodded dazedly, then winced in pain as his mother's Gift did it's work.

"I'm sorry Ma," he croaked. Alanna shushed him. Raoul could see tears welling up in the boy's eyes.

"Just relax, alright? It's ok, you're going to be ok," Raoul thought Alanna said this last part to herself as well as Thom. Her hands shook slightly as she steadied the boy, but her voice was beginning to calm.

Raoul glanced back at the surviving bandit, who was being trussed up by Glynn's men. They would take him to Corus, and he would stand trial for banditry. Raoul's men would have to testify against the three, a duty they were very used to. Thom would also be called upon to testify, something that he would not find to be a fun experience. Raoul had always regarded his friend's children as his own flesh and blood, and the idea of seeing his adopted nephew be put through the rigor of a courtroom was not something he relished. Reminding his nephew's formidable mother of this necessity was something he relished even less.

Raoul knelt next to Alanna as she finished healing Thom, the last traces of her Gift fading away. "Hey there lad, how are you feeling?" Raoul asked gently. Thom's worried face turned to meet Raoul's.

"Are those men dead?" Thom asked

Raoul hesitated. Alanna's children were certainly not coddled when it came to death, no way they could be considering who their parents were. Raoul knew Thom had witnessed his mother killing before, as well as some of the more unsavory aspects of his father's service to the king. But Raoul also knew that Thom was sensitive, and that someone being killed on your behalf might feel very different than watching his mother battle pirates at the Swoop. Raoul tried to glance at Alanna for support, but she was looking intently at Thom, smoothing his hair and checking him over for other wounds.

"Two are. The third is alive, and we'll take him back to Corus with us. He'll be held accountable for his actions," Raoul said seriously. "I'll send some men to check on any villages around here, see if they've committed other crimes in this area and if anyone wants to testify to that fact."

"And me too, right Uncle Raoul? I'll have to tell what happened as well?" Thom asked.

Raoul nodded gravely. "Yes, you will." Alanna turned quickly to look at him, but Raoul avoided her eyes. "Thom, can you tell me what happened before we got here?" Alanna opened her mouth as though to speak, but Thom began talking before she could say anything.

"I was looking for big sticks, to make a fort, and I thought I heard a dove. I tried to follow the sound, but I guess it was just those men, making the sound with their hands as a signal. I think when I walked into here they were surprised. There were two, and then when I tried to run the third one came up behind me. They wanted something, but…I got scared," Thom looked down, his cheeks blooming red. "I didn't understand. One grabbed at me, on my shoulder. He was shaking me really hard, and started yelling." Thom got redder, "I… I didn't know what to do, I forgot about my knife and I just…" Suddenly he looked up at them, eyes wide and urgent. "Where is Gimpy? Gimpy got hurt, Ma! Where is he?"

Raoul had completely forgotten the dog in the melee, as apparently had Alanna. He turned back to the clearing, but the dog was nowhere to be found. Several of the Own had drifted over to them, and now looked equally stymied. One man called out, "The dog? I think 'e ran off into th' woods," and pointed to the trees.

Thom began to struggle to his feet. "Ma! I have to find him! Ma, please!"

Alanna leapt up, and pulled Thom into her arms, "Thom, honey, you need to rest. You're still healing, you can't go looking for Gimpy."

"But Ma! He's hurt! You have to find him and make him better, you have to! Please!" Thom voice had become ragged and pleading.

At that moment Glynn had approached them, holding the bag Alanna kept healing supplies in. "I can take the boy back to camp, if ye want."

Thom was still struggling to escape his mother's hold. Alanna knelt to his eye level, and said, "Go back to camp with Glynn, ok? I will look for Gimpy, I will do what I can for him, but you have to go rest or your head won't get any better."

Raoul, sensing Thom was still hesitating, cut in, "I'll look as well, ok?"

Thom nodded seriously, and allowed Glynn to scoop him up. "You promise you'll save him, right Ma?"

Alanna nodded, "I promise I'll do my best".

It was only as Glynn and the rest of the men left the clearing that Raoul realized how dark it had become. Alanna brought forth a sphere of white light over their heads, illuminating the grass beneath their feet. As Raoul examined the blood left behind by the brief skirmish, he noticed a trail leading out into the woods. "Alanna," he called softly, and pointed.

Alanna and Raoul followed the trail for another 50 feet or so, as it became more and more noticeable, blood splashing over logs and through leaves. Finally they came upon a dirty, bedraggled looking heap of dingy brown fur, resting against a large rock. Alanna dropped to her knees and reached out, only to have Gimpy growl and snap at her hand.

"Gimpy, it's ok, it's me," Alanna whispered, and at the sound of her voice the dog relaxed, it's tail thumping weakly against the ground.

Raoul could tell immediately that there was no point to Alanna's bag, no amount of herbs or gauze can fix a dog whose entrails were outside instead of in. Even Daine would not have been able to assist an animal this close to death.

"Oh Gimpy," Alanna said in a choked voice, "Oh no." Raoul could see tears beginning to drip down her face as she tried to examine the dog. He shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.

"He's too far gone, I can't do anything," Alanna whispered to him. "Shit. Shit shit shit!" She slapped the ground in anger, causing Gimpy to jump. "Oh no, I'm sorry Gimpy," Alanna stroked the hound's head, soothing him back down. She looked up at Raoul, "Thom is going to devastated. What am I going to do?"

Raoul knelt beside her, reaching out to pet Gimpy. "Can you…speed things up? He must have dragged himself out here to hide from predators, can you let him go so he can be at peace?"

Alanna looked at him for a moment, nearly as dazed as Thom had been. "Yes, yes you're right. That's the only thing to do." But she hesitated, tears flowing steadily as she rested her hand on Gimpy's head.

Raoul realized he needed to help her begin, and so he cleared his throat. "Uh, Gimpy. You were a good dog. I'm sorry I made fun of you so much. You were very loyal, and uh, I'm glad Alanna bought you." He pet Gimpy softly, and waited for Alanna to gather herself.

Alanna opened her mouth only for a small sob to come out. After a moment she steadied, and tried again.

"Gimpy, I can never thank you enough for protecting my son. You were such a good dog, you always took care of Thom. You loved him fiercely and unreservedly. We were so lucky to have you in our family, and we'll never forget you. I hope the place you are going to next has lots of bones for you to chew, and many rabbits for you to chase. I'm sorry that we don't have more time together, and I'm especially sorry that you and Thom have to say goodbye. Thank you, for all of the love you've given to us."

Amidst tears, Alanna placed her hand gently on Gimpy's side, and Raoul watched as violet fire flowed into the dog. He could see as the animal quieted and stilled, and as the light in Gimpy's eyes suddenly went out. Once the dog had passed on, Alanna removed her hand from the hound's side. Reaching into her bag she pulled out a length of cord, and encircled Gimpy with it. Alanna bowed her head, whispering something Raoul couldn't make out, then clapped her hands together and said, "So mote it be." Purple flames turned into real fire, burning the corpse into ash. Raoul, to his surprise, felt tears began to drip down his own face as he watched the fire burn.

Once Alanna was satisfied that Gimpy had been properly cremated, she knelt and began to rummage through her bag again. From it's depths she pulled a small glass vial filled with herbs, which were hastily dumped out, and replaced with Gimpy's remains. Alanna tucked Gimpy into her pocket, with trembling hands, and stood, and Raoul held out his arms to her. She fell into his chest, body still shaking with sobs. After a moment she pulled away, sniffing and wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Goddess, I didn't even like that dog. I shouldn't be crying like this," Alanna said shakily.

Raoul wiped at his own eyes, and tried for a lighter tone, "Didn't you get fleas from him once?"

Alanna let out a bark of sharp laughter, "Once! Gimpy caught fleas then passed them on to us _every single summer_ , like clockwork. That dog." She shook her head, her eyes closed.

Suddenly her shoulders sagged. "Thom will never forgive me," she said, then with a sigh she turned and began to walk back towards the Own's camp.

Raoul scoffed as he followed her, "He'll understand. There was nothing you could do."

Alanna just shook her head, and from the set of her shoulders Raoul knew the subject was best dropped.

They walked back to camp in silence, with only Alanna's light to guide them through the dark forest. It was now far past supper time, and Raoul could hear his stomach growling it's displeasure at him. As they finally approached the Own, Raoul began to smell some kind of stew cooking and he sped up happily. He nearly smacked right into Alanna, who had frozen. Suddenly Raoul realized he could hear Thom's chipper voice.

"Sometimes healing takes a while, that's all. They'll be back soon, with Gimpy. You'll see."

Thom and Glynn were seated on a log around the cooking fire, both eating from bowls. Thom was wrapped in a blanket, and kicking his feet happily against the log as he chatted. Raoul and Alanna, still shrouded in darkness, were invisible to them.

Glynn was cautious as he responded, "You know best lad, but your dog looked pretty worse for the wear when I saw 'im last. Your ma may not be able-"

Thom cut him off, "You just don't know my ma, she can fix anything. Ma is healing Gimpy right now, and they're coming back with him. Trust me, she's the best there is, she'd never let Gimpy die." Thom's small voiced boomed with his confidence in Alanna.

Alanna, meanwhile, covered her face in her hands, and whispered "Shit." The movement of her shoulders made Raoul think she was crying again. He reached out and put a hand on her back, uncertain of what to say.

After a long moment, Alanna drew a deep breath, and walked forward into the light provided by the fire.

"MA!" Thom yelled, leaping from his seat to throw his arms around her. "You've been gone so long!" His voice was muffled as he spoke into his mother's stomach. Alanna was griping Thom fiercely back. Glynn made eye contact with Raoul and raised an eyebrow. Raoul shook his head quickly, and Glynn grimaced.

"Where's Gimpy, Ma?" Thom has pulled his head back from Alanna, his voice quizzical.

Alanna knelt to be at his height, and tried to speak. "Thom, Gimpy wasn't…well he was hurt very badly and…" her voice broke for a second as Thom frowned, trying to understand.

"You found him? But, where is he?" Thom was starting to pull away from Alanna, looking all around.

Alanna put her hand on his cheek, waiting until he was looking her in the eyes to continue. With a shuddering breath she said, "Thom, baby, Gimpy didn't make it. He was hurt too badly for me to save him. I'm so, so sorry. There was nothing I could do for him except ease his passage."

Thom didn't react for a horrible moment, his face utterly perplexed. Then suddenly he was kicking and punching wildly at Alanna, screaming through tears, "GIMPY CAN'T BE GONE, HE CAN'T BE! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HIM? GO BACK AND SAVE HIM, NOW! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED ME!"

Now the men of the Own were all looking as the boy thrashed violently. Raoul could feel nothing but helplessness as he watched Thom trying desperately to hit his mother. Alanna didn't seem to register any pain, she only held Thom closer until he was fully restrained, whispering to him as he wailed.

After a few moments Thom sagged like a marionette gone limp, and his cries petered out into soft whimpers. Raoul could now hear Alanna urgently whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Thom. It's going to be alright."

Thom sobbed, turning and clutching at Alanna as she pulled him into her lap, rocking him gently. The cries turned into words again, as Thom choked out, "This is all my fault! Gimpy died because of me!"

Alanna shushed him, holding him closer and kissing his hair. "It's not your fault, Thom. Gimpy had a good life with you. He loved you so much, I know he did." She dug into her pocket, and pulled forth the vial of Gimpy's ashes, holding it out where Thom could see it. "There's some of Gimpy in here, so he can always be close to you. You can put this in a special place, or you can keep it on you. Whatever you want."

Thom reached for the vial, staring at it. After a moment he whispered, "I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Alanna kissed Thom's head again. "Gimpy knew, my sweet, he knew you loved him." Thom shook his head, his body beginning to tremble. Alanna tried again. "We'll go back home tomorrow, and we'll have a funeral for Gimpy. You, and Aly, and Alan can all share a favorite Gimpy memory, and say goodbye together. Would you like that?"

"What about the trial?" Thom asked. "Don't I have to go to Corus with you, to testify about the bandits?" Alanna's mouth tightened, and she looked close to tears. Raoul suspected she was exhausted by the idea of disappointing Thom yet again.

Raoul stepped closer to Thom, then crouched down so he was at the boy's level. "Trials take a long time," Raoul said softly, "You do have to testify, but you have time to go to the Swoop first if you want." He smiled at Thom, but received nothing but worried eyes in return.

Thom was silent for a moment, then said, "Ok. Let's go home and have a funeral for Gimpy. We'll make it nice, right Ma?"

Alanna smiled slightly over Thom's head. "It will be the finest funeral a dog has ever had, I promise. We'll give all the castle dogs soup bones, in honor of Gimpy, if you want."

Thom smiled sadly, then leaned back into Alanna. She held him close, stroking his hair. Long after Raoul had eaten his supper and retired to his tent, Alanna and Thom were still sitting together by the fire, staring into the flames and thinking about goodbyes.


End file.
